NaNoWriMo or No?

Christie and I are both joining in NaNoWriMo this year, a first for both of us. (If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an online challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel during November).

But the question looms – WHY? We’re all busy people, it’s a busy time of year, blah, blah, blah. If you look online, you’ll find both cheerleaders suggesting you participate and, of course, critics – well, criticizing the idea. Whatever.

My why:

Fun. I’ve heard of NaNoWriMo for years and always thought about trying it. I’m hesitant to say this…but, it sounds fun.

Habit building. To this point, I’ve been less of a scheduled writer than I would like. I want to work on daily consistency. Research tells us that it takes 21 days to form a habit. My planner says November is 30 days long. Bryan Tracy says “Successful people are just those with successful habits.”

Scratching the itch. I’m currently revising a thriller, but I’ve been pondering writing a cozy mystery for a few years. I’ll admit I’m aiming high in trying to work on both projects at once. But, even if I don’t “win” NaNoWriMo (finishing the 50,000 words), I’ll have rooted out this mystery. Compared to the thriller I’ve been working on for nearly two years, the condensed schedule doesn’t feel so much as daunting, but invigorating.

Accountability. Writing is a solitary activity. It’s good to report somewhere (in this case, the daily word count check-in on the website) and with someone (Christie). It’s one of the same reasons we started GOB blog.

Expectations. I’m not anticipating having an edited, polished novel on November 30. I am planning on having a decent start on a draft. “You can fix anything but a blank page.” – Nora Roberts.

The plan. I like a plan and I like accountability. Many moons ago, I printed out a running plan for a half marathon and signed up. It was a ridiculous move, considering where I was in my running. I followed that damn plan to the letter, and miraculously, I crossed the finish line and didn’t die. I have similar hopes with NaNoWriMo.

Leap of Faith. I’m a fan of such leaps.

The writing. Doris Lessing said, “You only learn to be a better writer by actually writing.” Boom.

My Prep:

The concept is to actually produce 50,000 words in November, but prepping is allowed and encouraged. So, in the next 20 days, in addition to work, family, my main writing project, the GOB blog, and LIFE, I’ve got to PREP.

I’ve had a plot, characters, and setting floating around in my notes and brain for a couple of years. For now, I’m titling it Clover and hoping an actual title will present itself in the next three weeks.

I’m realistic, in a sense. I have a limited time frame to research and outline Clover. I’m starting with some genre research as my main project is a thriller and Clover is a cozy mystery. Next, I’ll write my logline. And then, along with research, all I’ve have time for is some character development and a plot outline in Xcel. I’ve got 20 days, and maybe an hour a day. Even the prep is a leap of faith.

Here’s the stack of reference books I’ll be using to get ready: